Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-15
OLD LANDMARK GONE.
The Last of a Historic
Building.
WILL TREASURE BE FOUND9
Excavations to be Made by Mr..
Beaudry may Result in Un-
earthing Riches.

Sraue tue WeSt sue oI new I1lgu SGreet
and erect substantial business buildings
thereon, has given out the contract fol-
the grading, and already the buildings
on the elevated ground have been re-
moved or demolished. The old adobe,
which formerly belonged to DR.. Bush,
has been torn down and the place that
knew it for, 10! these many years, will
know it no more. This demolished
structure was historical building, and
in its time was considered one of the
finest edifices in Southern California.
Its history, if written, would illustrate
the history of the most remarkable
period of California annals. 1t was built
early in the forties, and was for years
the residence of the distinguished off.
cials of Alta California during the Mexi-
can regime. General Jose Castro at one
time occupied it as his headquarters. In
the rear, down to very recent period,
was q small, thick walled adobe, which
used to be the carcel, wherein military
prisoners were confined.
When General (then Colonel) Fremont,
was entrapped into making an inglorious
treaty with General Andreas Pico, at the
time that Fremont's celebrated battalion
invested Los Angeles, the casa on the
hill became headquarters. Afterwards,
in lS47, it was occupied by Ameri.
can officers, and during the time
that Lieutenant Davidson was digging
trenches and erecting earthworks around
the rim Of Fort Hill for the purpose of
covering the city, the adobe casa was
the headquarters successfully of General
w. S. Kearney. Commodore Stockton.
and Commodore Ap. Catesby Jones. On
the 4.h of July, 1877, General Stone.
man was temporarily in command of Los
Angeles, and the American flag was
foated from this historical building.
About this time terrible catastrophe
happened on the premises. A large
amount of ammunition had been collect
ed and stored in temporary magazine,
located near the carcel. One afternoon
the whole town was aroused by sudden
and tremendous explosion. The people
hurried to the hill to find the whole hill.
side covered with debris, and number
of men lying around, some fearfully
wounded and several killed. The mag
azine was no more, and portion of the
carcel was in ruins. Damage was also
done to the Government house, as it was
then called. 1t seems that some care
less soldier had entered the magazine
with pipe in his mouth. That was his
last smoke.
When peace was declared and the
treaty of Guadalupe de Hidalgo had
been signed, the building passed into
private hands, and has been occupied as
residence ever since.
Several years ago, when the workmen
We're excavating for the foundation of
the building on Main street, now occu.
pied by the Los Angeles Furniture Com.
pany, they suddenly came upR the
opening to large tunnel running nder
New High street. 1t was explored far
into the hill, and was found to be cir.
cuitous and winding, with branches lead.
ing from it in various directions. Fl.
nally distractions were met which
prevented further exploration. This
mysterious tunnel was q nine days
and nobody could give salts.
factory explanation of its origin or pur.
pose. The grading of the hill now,
however. will solve the mystery.
There was tradition among the old
native Californians which will now be
verified or refuted. Main street, from
where the st. Elmo now stands, up as
far as Ferguson's stable, was at one time
lined with old.fashioned adobe business
houses. When the whole city was in
the throes of panic on account of the
approach of Fremont with his California
Battalion, it was expected that the city
would be taken and delivered up to pill
lage. Similar panics had occurred
before, and the merchants had taken
the prec iution to run O tunnel into the
hill behind their stores, where they
could safely cache their most valuable
goods and their treasure until the dan.
ger was over. Hence, when it was
announced that Fremont had reached
the Cahuenga, and would soon seize the
city, the merchants hurried their doub.
looms and fine goods into the recesses of
the tnnnel. The only man in the city
who had not lost his head
or heart was General Andreas Pico.
This gallant Californian got together
about thirty vaqueros, and riding
out to chosen spot, gave specific orders
to his Lieutenant to keep his handful of
men riding around hill. which could
only be seen at one point from Fremont's
camp. He then sent a trusty officer to
the enemy's headquarters with white
fig. This officer (who was none other
than Judge Pedro Carrillo) was ushered
into the presence of Fremont and deliv.
cred his message, to the effect that Cen
eral Andreas Pico, in command of the
Mexican army of California, desired an
interview before hostilities commenced.
The interview was granted, and General
Pico was careful to bring Colonel Ere.
mont to q place where he could see the
unending column of cavalry constantly
moving apparently in one direction, as
if it were portion of great army.
Fremont, impressed with the idea that
he would have to fight a severe and
doubtful battle with superior forces be.
fore he could become master of the Pue.
bio, accepted the terms proposed by Pico,
which were that he should not enter the
city, but camp upon the heights over.
looking it, and that q truce should be
declared for sixty days. When Fremont
learned that he had been duped by q
General whose army consisted of thirty
cowboys, he made the air sulphurous
with ornamental English.
As long as Fremont's men were en-
camped on the hill, the burgesses OF Los
Angeles felt that there was danger, and
| therefore left their treasures in their
lace of concealment. A portion Of
his troops were camped near the old
adobe, and the tradition goes that they
got wind of the rich treasures hid IN o
tunnel beneath the spot where they
were camped, and sunk shaft and
drifted till they reached the place where
the boxes of doubloons were supposed
bv their owners to repose in perfect SO.
curity. When the merchants subse'
gently went to bring out their treasures,
great was their grief and lamentations
to find them gone. The times were toe
stormy and troublous for redress, and